Author's Tweet Perfectly Shows Why Test Scores Are Not An Indication Of Success

"Random House published my sixth book last week."

As students, most all of us are required to take standardized tests throughout our time at school. And while these scores might mean something to the district, they are not necessarily reflective of who the test taker is and their intelligence level or potential. This point was driven home by author Alexandra Penfold, who recently took to Twitter to post a self-evaluation and a state test from the fourth grade.

"I love to write and I hope to become an author someday," it says in the photo. In contrast, the state test gave her a score of four out of eight on her holistic writing sample and deemed she was "minimally proficient in writing."

Penfold captioned the tweet, "Random House published my sixth book last week."

This weekend I sorted through some papers my mom saved from my childhood. The top one is my 4th grade self evaluation. The bottom, my 4th grade state test score. Random House published my 6th book last week. #MoreThanATestpic.twitter.com/kzHFId258x

She is living proof that a test score does not have to define you. In her tweet, she makes this clear by using the hashtag #MoreThanATest. She also encouraged others to share her story so more people will hopefully put their test scores into perspective.

Other Twitter users — including fellow authors — are sharing how their lives also aren't defined by their test scores.

Thank you for this! I had tutors all my life and my principal told my mother that “girls like yours don’t go to college.” I graduated summa cum laude! I have one book out there and another out in 2020. You are the only person that’s allowed to define you!

I didn't test well in my middle years at high school and I was a clutz in the lab but I loved science. At a parent/teacher meeting my then teacher advised my mother to encourage me NOT to do science in senior- mum rightfully told her to bugger off. I hold a PhD in Chemistry 🎤

I wasn't allowed to take A-level English (exams for 16-18yr olds if you're non-UK) because I wasn't good enough at it. Novel number 3 is due out at the end of the year. I still struggle with spelling, but I don't let that stop me.

Some teachers are sharing their frustrations about the culture surrounding test scores.

Thank you so much for sharing. As a teacher, I'm so frustrated by the current testing culture plaguing our schools. Standardized testing is a snapshot of where a child is at on a set of skills at a moment of time, that's all. It doesn't measure effort or drive, yet we know that

these characteristics mean so much more in terms of a child's future success. By the way, good for you. Good for you for working so hard. You are an inspiration and I promise I will be sharing this with my second graders in September.

This made my heart smile today. I’m a third grade teacher in Florida and that is the year the endless state testing really takes off. My students are only 8 years old. I always tell them that they are so much more than these scores. #MoreThanATest